The Dream We Awoke To
by Quintet
Summary: Two girls tread the path of love painted in the colors of a dream. Their destination is beyond the last page of a beloved diary. Sequel to "A Shelter For Just Two Girls." Not for kids. F/F, RikaRen


Ren sighed and hugged her pillow tighter against her chest. She was burning up again, even with the bedroom window thrown open to let in the cool autumn night, and no amount of tossing or turning could offer any relief. This secret fever had visited her night after night, and tonight, too, she could only offer up its name to a lonely room:

"Rika…"

Her girlfriend's name brought forth a cascade of sensations: a brilliant smile, a warm hand squeezing her own, the taste of strawberry chapstick from soft lips… Ren felt her heart pound once more, and the scene replayed in her mind.

Their favorite meeting spot was a desk in an empty classroom after school, right underneath an open window where the golden colors of sunset would stream through. But now, only one of the chairs on either side of it was occupied.

"Haa… Rik-mmph!"

Rika's lips interrupted Ren's soft sighs again and again while Rika's hands caressed her cheeks, then traced a line from her spine to her back and pulled her even closer. Their shared seat would creak beneath their combined weight as Rika shifted her weight atop Ren's lap, but their ears were filled only with each other's moans. As Rika pulled away to breathe, Ren felt herself panting with thirst.

_More_.

She wanted more, and Ren saw her desire mirrored in Rika's half-lidded eyes as she went back on the attack.

"Ren… I love you…"

Instead of the smooth softness of Rika's lips, Ren felt something warm and wet. The change in sensation caused Ren to inadvertently part her lips, and now Rika's tongue explored her mouth, licking the inside of her cheeks and the back of her teeth as it searched frantically for its counterpart. Ren offered it up, and their two tongues embraced. Wet smacking noises now joined with their shared moans; the sound was shameful to Ren's ears, but the newly awakening parts of her mind revelled in them. With every twist and pull and taste, Ren felt her mind clouding a little more.

Heat was building up in Ren's body. Her brain was trapped in a heat haze, fed by the hot blood delivered by her pounding heart. And yet the strongest heat was the one building between her legs, building toward something unknown, terrifying and wonderful. As if reading her mind, Rika's hand moved to her thigh and slowly began to creep upward. Ren could feel herself falling, sinking toward that unknown, and could only cling to her lover for dear life while Rika dragged her hand across her inner thigh, closer and closer to that insistent heat, and then…

And then Ren had woken up.

A month had passed since Ren had confessed her long-hidden feelings to Rika. That Rika would accept her feelings, and that Rika felt the same love she had held within her heart, was something that Ren had barely even dared to dream. And yet if that month, filled with such beautiful colors, had been just a dream, then Ren never wanted to wake up. Truthfully, their routines- meeting up after school, going on dates, and hunting Witches- had not changed much from when they still believed themselves to be just friends. But all Rika had to do was take her hand, or clasp her arm, and joy would fill Ren's body. And of course, there were the blissful hours they spent in secret, holding each other and kissing until the sun went down.

Ren was truly happy, happier than she had ever felt in her life. This happiness should've been enough for her. And yet…

"Sorry Ren. Let's stop here for today."

That's how that recurring scene had ended in reality a week ago, only a few minutes into their first adult kiss. Rika had been the one to start it, but she had pulled away so quickly. And since then, Rika hadn't kissed her like that again. In fact, Rika had seemed hesitant to kiss her at all. That was also when the dreams had started.

Ren knew that there were ways for lovers to express their feelings that went beyond words, hugs and even kisses. The basic overview her health class had been given only covered the love between a boy and a girl, but Ren knew that these feelings meant that she wanted to do something like *that* with Rika. And when Rika had started that tongue kiss, Ren thought that maybe Rika wanted *that* as well.

_Rika already answered my feelings. Am I just being selfish?_

As Ren wrapped herself in her blanket, she felt that familiar darkness creep into her mind.

_Does Rika… not want me?_

Perhaps Rika didn't find her attractive. She was always so cute and fashionable, and she could certainly get a prettier, more outgoing girl if she wanted. Maybe Rika had only accepted her feelings out of pity. Or if not, maybe she regretted it now. Her head was clouded with dark maybes, nibbling away at her.

_Does Rika… not love me?_

And then, as if in answer, a memory, shining the color of sunset, surged forth.

"You're so sweet and beautiful, Ren. I'm kind of an authority on this kind of thing, y'know?" Rika's words, the words she had spoken with her own lips, echoed through her mind. "You're a wonderful girl… I love you, Ren. You're the only one I love."

Ren regained control of her thoughts. The joy she had felt when Rika had told her those words was real. And even if she couldn't always believe in herself, she knew that she could believe in Rika. The dark cloud melted away, and as Ren emerged from her blanket, she could see her dark room bathed in the pale moonlight.

There, on the desk across from her bed, was the dim outline of her diary. Ever since Rika had saved her, Ren had filled that diary with the colors that Rika had helped her find. There was happiness, sadness, hope, and recently, the warm colors of love. Even this anguish that she felt now was a color that Rika had given to her. She would record this one too. She flipped to the next empty page, only to come to a realization.

"Ah… My diary…"

There were only a few pages left in her diary. By the end of the week, she would be on the very last one.

That fateful day they met, when Ren had written that first page in just black and white, her heart had still been weak. Even as it became stronger, it was only little by little. But Rika had been so patient with her, and now her drawer was filled with colored pencils of every color. Her hand had trembled that first day, but now it was firm as she confided her wish to the blank page.

_Thank you, Rika. Thanks to you, I know what I want to do. I want to fulfill the promise that I made to myself. I want to give you everything._

Ren turned on her phone. Her lock screen was a selfie that Rika had taken with her a couple of weeks ago, edited to have Rika take up as much of the screen as possible. Even now that they were girlfriends, texting Rika still made her nervous. But she was stronger now.

Sorry to bother you, but are you awake?

She hit "Send" before she had the chance to second guess herself. Ren immediately saw the "Rika is typing…" notification and felt her heartbeat quicken.

* * *

_Friday Afternoon, 6:00PM_

The doorbell rang.

Ren raced down the stairs, through the empty house and straight to the door. Although she had had hours to prepare, the idea of Rika actually coming to her house had seemed so unbelievable that she had only just finished getting ready. She still found it a little hard to believe that she wouldn't open her door to empty air and disappointment. Even so, she opened the door.

"Hey, Ren! Thanks for having me over!"

There she was. Rika's red jacket brought out the red of her eyes, and the combination of her short skirt and long black kneesocks emphasized her slim legs. Rika's black shirt featured an adorable strawberry pattern, and the pink on black was playfully cute while hinting at an adult caprice. And the sight of Rika's golden hair in the backdrop of an autumn sunset sent Ren's heart aflutter. Surely, Rika had to have meticulously planned her outfit just for this one beautiful moment. It was all so colorful, so…

"Uh, Earth to Ren? You alright?"

Ren realized that she had been staring and blushed furiously. "Y-yes! Please come in!"

"Your parents already left, right? Darn, I wanted to see which one you got your looks from." Rika stepped inside, peeled off her shoes and left them right next to Ren's. "I love your outfit, it's super cute!"

Ever since sending that text to Rika, Ren had agonized over what to wear today. She had thought about shopping for new clothes, but in the end she had settled for her favorite black blouse and a white skirt.

"Um… it's…" _Remember what Rika told you_, a voice in her mind chided. _Have more confidence in yourself!_ "Um… thank you. Your outfit also looks really cute!" Rika definitely already knew that she was cute, but nonetheless the smile she gave at Ren's compliment was genuine.

Now that Rika was actually inside her house, Ren was at a loss. She had spent so much time worrying about whether or not Rika would actually come that she hadn't given much thought to what they would do if she did.

It was Rika who broke the silence. "Hey, why don't we call up some of the girls and go hang out? Emiri found this new karaoke place that just-"

"Um!" Ren's voice came out a little louder than she had intended. "I was… tonight… I wanted it to be just us two tonight… if that's okay."

Rika had lots of friends, and no matter how you look at it, it was selfish for Ren to want to have her all to herself for a day. But Rika accepted her selfishness with a smile, and answered, "Of course, Ren. Tonight, I'm all yours, got it?" before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Ren racked her brain even through her furious blushing, looking for anything she could use to break the deadlock. The effort caused her stomach to twinge with protest; Ren silently prayed to every god she could think of that her girlfriend didn't hear it. She had been so nervous and excited that she had neglected to eat. Then, with that train of thought, she had found her opening.

"My parents, they left me some money for food… do you want to order something?"

"That's a great idea!" Rika exclaimed, "The new episode of _Kimi no Hana _is on tonight, so we could totally set up a viewing party!"

"That's… a really good idea." The romantic drama that Rika had recommended to her had completely slipped her mind. Ren wondered if Rika had been waiting for her to suggest watching it together.

"Really?"

"Really! That cliffhanger where Yuriko wrote her confession to Lily even though her English was bad, and then they played the opening theme with a montage of the time they had spent together, especially since Lily said she had to go back to America soon, and-"

"Wow, Ren, you're totally hooked! I told you you'd love that show!" Ren caught herself before Rika continued, "Hey, nothing wrong with that! I'm super into it too! That last episode had me bawling my eyes out! Anyway, we should go grab some snacks, too. Wanna come with?" Rika held out her hand.

"Yes! I mean… as long as I'm with you, anywhere is fine." Ren took her hand before Rika practically dragged her out the door. They made it all the way up to the sidewalk before realizing that they had forgotten their shoes.

* * *

Ren sat down on the family couch, and Rika took a seat right next to her. On the coffee table before them was a colorful banquet of candy and sugary drinks. Ren had been a bit hesitant at the prospect of so much unhealthy food, but Rika had been adamant.

"C'mon Ren, live a little! We've gotta do this kind of stuff while we're still young!"

Rika's smile had been as unfair as always, so Ren had relented. She had put her foot down on the idea of ordering from Banbanzai though, and instead they had ordered some sushi. _After all_, she thought, _if we do end up doing… those kinds of things… then we shouldn't eat anything heavy._

The program started. Rika was totally engrossed by the show, but Ren found it difficult to concentrate with her girlfriend right next to her. Rika was so close that Ren could feel the warmth of her body heat, but the tiny space between their bodies loomed large in her mind. Ren went over some of the "studying" she had done to prepare for tonight.

_In this kind of situation, you're supposed to make some kind of intimate contact. Is Rika waiting for me to make the first move? Will she think that I'm being too clingy? What should I do?_

Ren cast her bet and let her head fall slowly onto Rika's shoulder. She felt Rika's body react to the sudden physical contact and worried that she may have gone too fast, until Rika put her arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Her heart soared as a contented smile spread across Ren's face.

As the program continued and the two girls on screen exchanged their feelings, Rika began slowly stroking Ren's hair. Rika had first done this when she thought that Ren was asleep, so it had been a few days later before Ren had bashfully admitted that she had loved it. Rika's touch seemed to melt into her skin, and she felt a comfortable warmth seep down from her head to the rest of her body. Rika was always so energetic, but her caresses were always so soft. Ren's breathing began to slow down, as if she were drifting off to sleep.

And then, disaster struck.

The two heroines on the screen, after having finally become one emotionally, had decided to become one… physically. In other words, they were really going at it. As their clothes started falling off, Ren realized with a combination of horror and excitement that they were going to go "all the way." For some reason, the feeling of her girlfriend's body against hers was much more noticeable, and every place where their bodies made contact felt hot. Fortunately (or maybe not), the scene eventually faded to black, with the implications of what happened next left to the two enthralled watchers.

Ren took a quick glance over at Rika and was surprised to see that she was blushing profusely; for some reason, she had expected her girlfriend to be more… "experienced" with this kind of stuff. _Then again, _she thought, _Rika said that she never even got to kiss her ex-girlfriend_. At this thought, Ren couldn't help but feel a tiny bit fulfilled.

At some point, Rika's left hand had found its way onto Ren's lower thigh, but it as frozen in position, as if Rika didn't dare to move it any further. Ren looked up at her girlfriend; her still-red face was still locked onto the television screen. _But her eyes_, she thought to herself, _seem to be staring past it. Is she as nervous as I am? Is she- oh! Oh my!_

The position of Ren's head, along with a bump in the top of Rika's shirt, had allowed Ren to get a glimpse of Rika's shoulder. And on that otherwise-bare shoulder, Ren had seen a pink strap- a bra strap. Rika's bra strap. She hadn't meant to see it, but it was too late to erase the image from her mind. What little she had seen had looked a bit fancy… had she put it on specially for today? And if her bra was fancy, then maybe the rest of her underwear was fancy too. Were her panties pink too?

_Maybe I should look again_... The thought came unbidden, and as much as she tried to argue against herself, she soon found herself trying to take another peek… only to see Rika staring back at her.

"Ren, we're girlfriends, remember? If you wanna look at my bra, just ask."

Ren could practically feel steam pouring out of her ears as what was supposed to be an apology stammered and stumbled out of her mouth. After a few seconds of this, Rika pressed her forehead to hers, causing Ren to go silent.

"Ren, is there something wrong? You've been on edge the whole day."

"I'm not…!" Ren sighed. She really couldn't hide anything from Rika. "No, you're right. I am nervous… just a little bit."

"What's bothering you? C'mon, you know you can tell me anything, right?" There was that smile again, that warm, unfair smile that had always accepted everything about her. It was the smile that Ren loved.

"Rika, am I… s-sexy?"

"Ren! Wh-what do you… ohh." Rika shifted her gaze. "You're talking about last week, aren't you?"

"Yes… last week when we were kissing, you suddenly pulled away. And since then, we haven't really done anything like that. I'm sorry… even though you always tell me to have more confidence in myself… it made me worry that maybe… you didn't find me attractive."

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Rika clasped Ren's hands. "Actually… it's the opposite."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... whenever I think about you… I… My heart starts pounding like crazy! It's like… I'll be in class, and I'll suddenly start thinking about you, and my head starts getting all fuzzy! All I can think about is how much I want to be with you… and for us to hold each other tight… and stuff..."

Ren had never seen Rika look so flustered before. She wondered if this was what Rika usually got to experience whenever she talked to her. _This side of Rika is… really cute._

"And last week," Rika continued, "When I… you know… it did feel good. Really good. It was so good, I was scared that if we kept going further, then I wouldn't be able to stop myself.. I was really, uh…" Rika blushed before whispering, "I was really turned on."

"I… turn you on?"

"Yeah." Rika inched closer. "And I do want to do… that stuff with you. But it's not just because of hormones or puberty or that kind of stuff… well, a little of it is about that I guess… but it's because I love you so much that I want to do that stuff! I love you Ren, so… I want to wait until you're ready. I would never, ever force you into anything that you don't want to do, okay?"

Ren knew that Rika had a lot of other Magical Girl friends; Rika was the kind of person who could win anyone over. In time, a lot of those friends had even become Ren's friends too. But this side of Rika was something that only Ren knew. No matter how slowly Ren ran, she knew that Rika would always wait for her to catch up. _So that's why,_ she thought, _I'll close this last bit of distance between us._

Ren slowly brushed away some of her girlfriend's bangs before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Rika… I've been thinking about this a lot too. You know… in my diary, I write about you every single day… the things you've given me, the time we've spent together, and all of my feelings for you. Whenever you hold me, whenever we kiss… it always feels so warm, right here." Ren took one of Rika's hands and gently placed it onto her chest. "It's so warm and bright, and I always want more, and more. It's embarrassing… but I'm so happy that you feel the same way. I don't want for us to hide anything from each other anymore."

"Ren…" Surely, Rika could feel Ren's heart beating through her fingertips. Ren brought her lips to Rika's ear, her voice barely a breath.

"I… want you."

An agonizing second passed. And then…

"Ren!"

They fell to the couch in a tangle of limbs, their kisses frantic and hungry. Ren invited Rika's tongue past her lips while her hands clutched and grasped and clawed at Rika's back, trying to pull her even closer and press as much of their bodies together as possible. Rika's tongue was sweet with the taste of the candy she had eaten, and Ren took a taste for herself, then another and another. When Rika placed a hand on Ren's breast, she responded by moaning into her mouth.

"Mhmm… ha, Rika, Rika-mmmhm"

"Hah… Ren… mmph!"

There was no way this could be another dream, because it felt so much better. Rika's taste, her scent, her touch… they filled all of Ren's five senses and set her body aflame. In this moment, any sensation that wasn't Rika wasn't necessary, and Ren felt her mind fog up. It was fine if the empty house was filled with their embarrassing sounds. It was fine if Rika was groping and feeling her whole body. As long as Rika was there, in her arms, everything was fine. Their legs, too, had become entwined with each other. Rika's thigh was achingly close to that place where Ren's fire burned the brightest, right between her legs, inching closer and closer… and then…

"Ren… hah… wait a minute…" Rika pulled away. A thin trail of saliva stretched between their mouths.

"Rika… why…" It ached. Every part of Ren's body that was apart from her girlfriend's ached.

"The sofa… it'd be real bad if we messed it up… c'mon… your bedroom…"

"Yes…"

They continued making out as they stumbled their way out of the living room and into the kitchen, bumping into the table and somehow finding the stairs. Finally, they were in Ren's bedroom. The light was still off, but neither of them wanted to be apart from the other long enough to turn it on. Upon seeing Ren's bed, the gravity of what was about to happen gave them both pause, and they each took a minute to catch their breath.

"Ren." Rika buried her face in Ren's neck. "Please… let me look at you. All of you."

Saying yes was too embarrassing, so Ren could only nod. First she felt her blouse unbuttoned and pulled over her head. Next was her skirt, which was undone and fell to the floor. Rika guided her to sit on the bed, then knelt down and slowly pulled off Ren's socks, one after the other, and tossed them into the pile of clothes, leaving only her white bra and panties. The bed creaked as Rika began to climb on top of her, stripping down to the lacy pink underwear that Ren had longed to see.

"Do you like them?" Rika asked. She did her best to gesture seductively, but Ren could see that her hand was shaking slightly. "I bought them specially for you."

"Yes, I love them… they're really cute, Rika…"

Rika placed one hand on Ren's bra strap.

"Can I?"

"Y-yes…"

The bra fell away, and Ren instinctively covered her naked breasts before slowly revealing them. She felt a tug on the waistband of her panties, and lifted her legs as her girlfriend stripped away the last bit of cloth guarding her body. In the moonlight filling the room, Ren's modest breasts, the thin wisps of silver hair above her precious place, and her bashful, blushing face were all fully exposed.

"Ren…" Rika's voice was soft. "You're so beautiful."

Their lips met once more. This kiss was slower and heavier than their last ones. Ren squeaked as one of Rika's hands massaged her breast directly, her thumb rolling around her rapidly-hardening nipple. The other hand drifted slowly down her side, crossing over to her stomach, her fingertips brushing across bare, sensitive skin. Rika traced across her navel, her waist, lower and lower, until finally…

"Hauu~!"

The moment Rika's fingers brushed her core, her entire body seized up with pleasure.

"Wow, Ren… you're already so wet."

It was too much, and Ren turned her head away.

"Th-that's because… I'm with you… Haaahn!"

Denied access to her lips, Rika kissed the nape of Ren's neck as she slid her fingers across Ren's damp slit. Every movement of her fingers sent shocks through Ren's body, and Ren could only cling to her lover as they came faster and harder and her pants became loud moans.

"Hah-hah-ah-ah! R-Rika-ah, it feels good-ah!

"Ren," Rika half-whispered, half-breathed into Ren's ear, "Ren, y'know… that day when we were making out for the first time… right when I got home, I started touching myself, over and over, all night… I couldn't stop. That whole time, I couldn't stop thinking about doing lewd things with you, just like this…"

The thought of Rika burning with the same sweet fever that tormented Ren, her face contorted with pleasure, sent shivers up Ren's spine. "Rika, please," Ren whined, "your finger… i-inside…"

Rika poised her finger, already slick with nectar, at Ren's entrance. She slowly pushed in her fingertip, which was immediately enveloped in a tight, wet warmth. Rika teased the entrance, enjoying Ren's mewls and feeling around until she felt something that pushed back against her.

"Please, Rika." Ren looked straight into Rika's eyes. "Make me yours…"

"Of course. This might sting a little bit, okay?"

Rika pressed her finger into Ren's hymen once, twice… then broke through with one swift motion.

"Hnnngh!" It stung just a little bit, and Ren dug her nails into Rika's back. A couple drops of blood stained Rika's finger. But the pain only lasted a brief second, and was soon replaced with an intoxicating pressure.

"You okay, Ren?"

"Yes… keep going…"

Rika began pumping her finger in and out. She started off slowly, reveling in the sensation of Ren's insides tightening around her finger, but Ren's sweet voice was too intoxicating. Rika's fingers began moving faster and faster, and when Rika added a second finger Ren responded by bucking her hips, trying to get as much of those lovely fingers inside of her as possible. All the while, Rika's other hand worked Ren's breast, kneading it and pulling and ever-so-slightly twisting her now painfully hard nipple. Ren wanted to return to favor and make Rika feel good too, but the sensations racing through her body were so overwhelming that she could only cling to Rika as tightly as she could.

Ren had never felt such intense pleasure; the fact that it was at the hands of the girl she loved and trusted more than anyone else amplified it until she couldn't bear it anymore. The surging feelings started from her core and spread throughout her body, then with every pump of Rika's fingers became more powerful, more wonderful.

"Ah, ah, hah, Rika… it's so good…, hah, something's coming…!" She began to fall, only for Rika to catch her with her free arm and pull her close.

"It's okay, Ren. Let it out." Rika was merciless, fingering Ren as fast as she dared, wanting to see her reach the peak of ecstasy. "Let it all out, Ren."

"Rika! Rika, I'm… I'm…!"

Suddenly Rika's mouth caught Ren's in a deep kiss. This pushed Ren over the edge, and she screamed into Rika's mouth as she writhed in the throes of her first orgasm, feeling her walls clamp tightly on Rika's digits. Bliss swept through her entire body in surging waves, seizing control of her muscles as her mind went blank. It took a full minute for Ren to calm down.

"Did that feel good, Ren?"

"Y-yes… it was incredible… I love you… I love you so much…" They shared another kiss.

"I love you too, Ren. Now, let's hit a bath before we go to- Ren?"

Before she could react, Rika's arms were pinned as Ren forced her flat on the bed. There was a strange look in Ren's eyes that Rika had never seen before.

"Ren? What's gotten into you?"

"I love you so much, Rika." Ren began kissing and nibbling Rika's collarbone, feeling her shudder with every bite. "...I love you so much it's painful, so much I feel like I'll die. It's not fair if I'm the only one who feels good..."

Ren trailed down Rika's body, leaving wet kisses on Rika's chest, then her navel, continuing downward until her face was in between her legs, and kissed the places where Rika's thighs joined her groin. Ren could see a large damp spot on Rika's pink panties, and a slightly musky scent filled her nostrils. Overcome by a mad instinct, Ren pushed Rika's thin legs apart and buried her face into Rika's crotch. Now it was Rika's turn to moan as Ren ran her tongue all over Rika's underwear, tasting a sweet, slightly salty flavor that had soaked into the soft fabric.

"Ren…" Rika covered her face in embarrassment, "That place… it's dirty…"

"I already told you, Rika," Ren said as she slowly pulled down Rika's panties, "You're not dirty. There's no part of my beloved Rika that's dirty. Now," Rika's glistening, hairless slit was finally in view, "...let me repay you…"

Rika's reaction when Ren finally kissed her lower lips was immediate and loud. Ren lapped away at Rika's juices, savoring Rika's taste on her lips. No matter how much Ren's tongue partook of it, the sweet nectar was inexhaustible. She dragged her tongue along Rika's slit and the puffy outer lips, looking and feeling for the spots that made Rika's sweet voice ring louder in her ears. Then, Ren's eyes rested on a small, twitching bud at the top of Rika's flower. Following her intuition, Ren put her lips around it and sucked as hard as she could.

Rika screamed. If Ren could look behind her, she would've seen Rika's legs stretch and her toes curl, but the only thing she could focus on was attacking Rika's clit and making her feel as good as possible.

"R-Ren, please, not there! That's too- AAH!"

Even as she pleaded, Rika's legs wrapped themselves around Ren's head and squeezed. Ren's tongue mercilessly teased Rika's slit while her lips sucked and pulled at her throbbing clit. Rika's cries were getting louder and louder, but it still wasn't enough to satisfy Ren's ears. Once more, Ren went for Rika's clit and hummed while lashing it with her tongue.

"Ren! Ren! I'm cumming! I'm... ah, ah, AAAHNN!"

Ren felt a thin stream of liquid squirt onto her face as Rika's legs squeezed her head as tightly as possible. Rika's body spasmed over and over until eventually her body flopped onto the bed, exhausted. Ren crawled back on top of Rika and shoved her tongue into her girlfriend's mouth, wanting her to taste her own lewd juices as she submitted to Ren's kiss. After a few minutes of this, Ren came out of her daze and fell into Rika's arms.

"Oh gosh, Ren… where did THAT come from?" Rika was still breathing hard, as if she had just finished running a marathon. Ren hadn't been unaware of what she was doing, but the realization of what she had just done was only now starting to sink in.

"U-uh, I'm sorry… I-I don't know what came over me…"

Rika laughed. "Don't apologize, silly! That was amazing! How did you get so good at this?"

"B-but it felt really good when you did it for me too! And, um… I already told you… I've been thinking about this for a long time. So I did some research on the internet… and secretly ordered an adult book… j-just so that I'd know what to do!"

Rika gazed lovingly at Ren. "I'm glad that I got to see a totally new side of you. I love this kind of Ren a lot too!" There was something in Rika's eyes that Ren hadn't seen before. It almost looked like submission. They had gone so far already, so Ren decided that she needed to meet Rika's expectations.

"Um… there's something else that I want to try with you…" Ren whispered something into Rika's ear that made her flush scarlet.

"Pressing them together? That sounds tricky, so I'll just follow your lead." Rika laid on the bed and looked up at Ren expectantly. "Just tell me what you want me to do, Ren."

Seeing Rika's slim body beneath her, completely at her mercy, threatened to strip away Ren's sense of reason. "S-spread your legs," Ren instructed.

"Like this?" Rika's precious place was in full view, and it was taking every bit of Ren's self-control to not dive in again.

"Yes… now lift one of your legs up a little."

Once Rika had lifted her leg a few inches above the bed, Ren moved in, grabbing her leg and pulling her hips in between Rika's. Ren slowly moved their hips closer and closer until finally their lower lips kissed. Their moans came in tandem.

"Ren," Rika asked, "are we doing it right?"

"It feels good, so yes, I think so."

They pressed their honeypots together again and again, the contact hot and wet, their bodies flaring up with sweet heat every time. Seeing Rika's flushed, panting face sent a jolt through Ren's hips, causing her slit to slide across Rika's. Immediately, something like electricity ran through the place where their hips connected.

"Ahh, Ren!" Rika cried, "Do that again! More!"

Ren began moving her hips up and down, eager to be one with Rika. Their drenched cores seemed to melt together as they slid across one another, faster and faster as Rika started moving her hips to match her. Every time their clits touched their cries became louder.

"Ren, Ren... ahh… it's amazing…! Ren!"

"Rika... love you... I... haaahn... I love you... haaau!"

Soon they had abandoned all pretense of rhythm and were frantically smashing their hips into each other as hard and as fast as they could. They didn't want to ever stop, and they couldn't stop even if they wanted to. They let out their blissful moans to the beat of the creaking of Ren's bed, uncaring of who heard them, not wanting anything or anyone but each other. In that moment, their love was the only thing that existed in their shared universe.

"Ren! Ahh... Ren… I'm so close!"

"Rikaaaa… together!" Ren reached out her hands.

"Yeah… together! Let's cum together!" Rika took them in hers.

Something terrifying and wonderful was coming, something that would swallow them up completely. Maybe it was too much. Maybe they would die. _Even so_, Ren thought, feeling Rika's hands in her own, _even so, that's fine. With Rika, I'm…!_

"Rika!"

"Ren!"

They called each other's names and were swept away by a storm of pleasure.

* * *

The two exhausted lovers fell to the bed. For a while, neither of them said a word. Unlike the awkward silences that Ren was used to, the one that they shared now was warm and glowing. After all, what more was there to be said between them? Rika's embrace, and their shared warmth, were more than enough to convey their emotions. Even so…

"I love you, Ren. I love you so much."

Even so, hearing those words from the one she loved so much meant the world to Ren. As long as she had those words in her heart, she could endure any darkness. With Rika's love in her heart, she could face herself.

"Rika… do you remember the day we first met?

The horizon she saw that day loomed before her mind. When she had looked over the edge of that rooftop, it was like staring into an endless abyss of gray. But now that she thought about it, the sky had been a clear, beautiful blue.

"Of course I do! How could I forget? You were…" Realization dawned on Rika's face.

"That day, after everything that happened, you opened your heart to me. Even though it was painful, and almost made you cry, you did that for me. But I wasn't able to do the same for you… I was so ashamed."

"Ren…" Rika began stroking Ren's hair, her eyes filled with worry. "I already told you, I'll never force you to do anything you don't want to. That won't ever change."

But Ren shook her head. "And I told you, Rika, that I didn't want us to hide anything from each other anymore. I decided that I'm not going to be ashamed anymore. Even though that day was full of pain and regret… it was also the day I fell in love for the first time. That day was the first time I wrote in my diary. And I promised myself that when I got to the very last page, I'd tell you everything."

Rika was silent for a moment, and then nuzzled her face into Ren's chest. "Are you sure?"

_I need to face it_, Ren thought._ I don't want for Rika to walk ahead of me… I want to be by her side! _"Yes," she answered.

"Okay, Ren. Please, tell me everything. Why did you try to… why were you on the roof that day?"

"You see, that day… that was the second time I tried to… end my own life."

"The second time? Oh, sorry. Please, keep going."

"Well… ever since I was little… I've had trouble speaking to people. So the other kids in my class… they would tease me about it. Because it was so hard for me to speak up, I couldn't make any friends. And as we grew up, it got worse and worse… the bullies would hide my shoes, throw around my textbooks… and I didn't have anyone to turn to."

"And nobody saw what was going on?" Rika's voice was quiet, but her red eyes were bright with anger. "Nobody tried to help you? Anyone?"

Ren shook her head.

"I tried telling a teacher a few times… but nothing would be done, and then the bullying would get even worse. And I didn't want my parents to worry, so I told them that everything was fine. I was... so alone. It felt like I was living in black and white… like I was already dead. So one day… I climbed up to the school roof after school… and jumped.""

"Damn it, how could they just… how could anyone just let that happen? I wish..." Rika's voice hitched in her throat, "I wish that I could've been there for you."

As Rika gently pulled her girlfriend's head down to her chest, Ren wrapped her arms around Rika's thin shoulders. Rika's body was small, but Ren still felt the safest in her arms.

"As I was falling, I realized… that I was a coward. More than anything, I wanted to live." Ren felt her eyes burn with tears. "That's when I heard a voice in my head… it told me that I could live if I wished for it. So I… I wished to live. It was such a cowardly wish…"

"Oh, Ren…" Rika's fingers brushed away Ren's tears before softly stroking her face.

"Kyubey told me about Witches… about how they spread malice and hate… he even told me that the people who bullied me may have been under the influence of a Witch. And I thought… that if I could destroy the Witches, then I could prevent… what happened to me… from ever happening again."

"Kyubey..." The name was bitter on Rika's lips as she clenched her fist, "If I ever see that stupid fuzzball again, I'll fry him to a crisp!"

"But Kyubey was right!" Ren clasped one of Rika's fists in her hands, and felt it slowly relax. "The bullies at my school were being controlled by a Witch, and after I defeated it, the bullying stopped. I really thought that I could save the world." The words were beginning to trip over her tongue, but she couldn't stop now even if she wanted to. "But no matter how hard I fought… people still bullied each other… and said such hurtful things… not even caring about how the other person might feel. And when I thought about how I had felt back then… like I wasn't even alive… I felt like I was being crushed."

"Is that why you tried to kill yourself a second time?"

"I thought… that if I couldn't erase all the malice and hatred in the world… then there was no point in me being alive in the first place. It sounds so silly now, doesn't it? That I could do that all by myself… Because of something like that… I almost..."

Now Ren was truly naked. Her sadness, her regrets, her everything was plain for Rika to see. Even now, some of the fear began to creep into her mind. _Maybe it's all too much for her. Maybe she thinks I'm stupid. Maybe…_

Then she felt Rika's lips on hers, and those thoughts dissolved like mist in the sunlight.

"Ren." Rika took Ren's hands in hers, and began interlocking their fingers, one by one. "Maybe you can't save the world by yourself. But, well, you buy a new colored pencil every time you save someone from Witches, right? Well, how many do you have now? So many you've lost count, right?"

"But I could only do that because you were with me!"

"And I could only do that because I was with you. You know, before I met you, the only reason why I fought was to vent all of my stress. But even though you've been through so much hurt… you still fight to save people. And you showed me that I can help people, too. Not everyone can do that, y'know?" Rika took Ren's left hand, and brought the Soul Gem ring on her middle finger to her lips. "Maybe nobody could be there for you in the past. But I'll always, always be here for you. No matter what. So…"

"Yes, Rika?"

"Tomorrow, let's go buy you another diary. And when you fill that one up, we can buy another one, and another one. Let's fill them together." Rika smiled.

"Yes! I… I love you so much!" Suddenly, the tears were flowing freely, and Ren was sobbing in Rika's arms.

"Ren! Are you okay? Don't push yourself, okay?"

With a great effort, Ren managed to regain enough composure to speak. "I-I'm not sad… I'm happy… I'm so glad that I chose to live!" With that, the tears came once again, and Rika held her until they dried.

The night soon found the two girls asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Ren woke up with the sunrise. As she pulled off part of her blanket, she felt a slight chill on her still-naked body. She looked beside her and saw Rika's sleeping face. _So it wasn't a dream, _she thought to herself. Rika was always so full of emotion, and so seeing her sleeping peacefully filled her with a surge of affection. Ren reached out her hand, softly stroking Rika's face.

But Rika's sleep was fragile, and she soon opened her eyes. Seeing Ren smiling down at her eased any irritation she may have felt at being woken up early, and she smiled back. "Morning, Ren," she said.

Ren couldn't resist, and leaned in to catch Rika's lips in a quick kiss. "Good morning, Rika," she responded. Waking up together, seeing each other's faces the first thing in the morning… those were things that lovers did. Ren's happy thoughts were interrupted by a growl from Rika's stomach. _Eating breakfast together is also something that lovers do_, she thought.

A few minutes later, and they were in the kitchen, with Ren standing at a hot stove in her pajamas. In all the… excitement of last night, Rika had left the bag with her change of clothes in the living room, and the idea of walking naked through someone else's house had been a bit too embarrassing, which was why she was now wearing one of Ren's shirts. When Ren had tried to explain as nicely as possible that her clothes might be a little too big for her, Rika had laughed.

"Didn't you hear? Oversized clothes are *in* right now!" At this, Ren could only wonder at the whims of fashion.

As they ate their fried eggs and toast, Rika was the first to speak up. "Your parents are coming home later today, right?" Ren nodded. "That's a bummer. I mean, I'm sure your folks are nice and all, but I kinda wanted to spend another night together." Rika's blush made the implication clear.

Ren smiled. "Me too. I also… want to spend a lot more nights with you. But it might be difficult… we can't really do it when our parents are home…" At that, Rika showed her an address on her smartphone.

"I have a senpai at school who's also a Magical Girl. She gave me the address of a love hotel for lesbians, and she said that the owner doesn't check ages."

Ren took a closer look at the familiar address. "Rika… this is the Coordinator's office." Rika turned bright red.

"Dammit, Kokoro! Just because you get off on being watched doesn't mean we all do... A-anyway, we'll figure something out. And besides, we can still do all the other stuff we were doing before, right?"

Ren nodded. "No matter what we do, as long as I'm with you it's always fun… ummm…" The moment of truth, the time for Ren to put everything on the line had finally come. "Umm… honey."

The word fell like a stone between them, leaving behind a heavy silence. Time itself seemed to freeze with the violation of some unwritten law. Finally, they both burst into laughter.

"Ohmigosh Ren, what the heck? 'Honey'? Are we old ladies or something?"

"Hey, t-that's what my mom always calls my dad!"

"And how old is your mom?" Their banter continued for a moment before Rika suddenly took Ren's hand. "I don't think we need any special names for each other yet. You're Ren, and that's already special enough."

"Oh, Rika…" They shared another kiss. But as they kissed, Ren thought to herself, _Even so, it would be wonderful if we got to live to become old ladies together._

Perhaps it was too much to ask. Meeting Rika, falling in love, and sharing that love with her was already a miracle for the girl who had once given up on miracles. For a Magical Girl to live more than a few years was an even greater prayer. Ren had cheated death twice; she didn't know how long it would be before she departed this world for real. But what she did know, what she had decided, was that she would spend those colorful days with Rika.


End file.
